Loose-leaf binder.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

H. G. MILLER. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1905.

UNITED STATES HENRY C. MILLER, OF MILWAUKEE,.IWISGONSIN.

LOOSE-LEAF B'INDEFL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed J ply '1, 1905. Serial No. 268,681-

To all whom it, may concern:

. Be it known that I, HENRY O. MILLER, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a Loose-Leaf Binder, of whichthefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to loose-leaf binders, and more particularly to the posts thereof, which join the binder-bars and complete the back of the binder. Y i

In transferbinders-that is, those binders which are used as reference-files for old sheets and in which the latter accumulate sometimes to a very large number-it requires a wide range of adjustability in the lengths of the posts toenable the ledger to expand from an indefinitely small thickness to the thickness required,'which is unlimited by anything but'the .ease of handling the ledger. Heretoforejsectional posts have been devised for this pur osenamely,posts made up in a plurality 0 joints of definite length, which could be successively added, thus expanding the back of the binder by intervals equal to the length of one post These binders have, however, roved unsatisfactory for thereason that t ey do not permit an even degree of adjustabilitywhich enables the back to becompressed to hold any number of sheets whatever. Posts have also been devised permitting continuous adjustment in length; but these posts have the disadvantage of a narrow.limitation between their shortest and greatest length. Means for adjusting the lengths of posts have-also been used, which involve the projection of the unused portion of the posts beyond one side of the binder, and this construction embodies the obvious disadvantage that the projections are'in the way and are likely'to strike against objects. Besides, it prevents the binders from lying flat, and the projections of one binder prevent other binders from being placed evenly on top of it.

It 1s my object herein to provide a post for loose-leaf binders in general, and especially for transfer-binders, which while admitting expansion to any desired amount may still have the property of a continuous adj ustment in the lengththat is, one not dependingon the length of the section and which will also avoid the difficulty of projecting posts at either side of the binder-cover.

I further design to provide a post having volving an unnecessary amount of attachment and detachment.

I further design to provide an improved form of sectional post which shall avoid cer tain disadvantages of posts heretofore in use.

In the old form, each post was provided with a male thread at one end and a female at the other, and midway a hole through the center of the post for the insertion of a tommy by which the sections could be unscrewed.- Now supposing several sections to be joined and it was desired to remove only the upper one, the rotating of this one would cause one of'the'other joints to release instead of the joint desired, (it being impossible to hold the joint next below stationary-on account of the sheets held by it,) and in consequence several sections would be removed instead of only one. In my invention this is avoided by having an independent screw fixed in each section and connecting itwith the next section, and the screw in each section is covered by that next above it, so that it is possible to release only the upper section, and the sections below are maintained rigidly in position.

, In my improved post I may further provide a tongue and slot between the sections, whichcauses each section to engage with the adjacent section and: prevents them rotating relatively to one another.

A further improvement which I have in view is the formation of transverse slots 01" nicks in the free end ofthe sections to replace the transverse holes heretofore in use, 1n enabling the sections to be rotated by means of ascrew-driver or of an ordinary coin, which is generally the most convenient tool for the purpose.

My im rovements are best understood from the ollowing description, taken in connection with ,the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown several embodiments thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 1s a perspective view of a loose-leaf binder constructed Fig. 4 1s a view similar to'Fig. 2 of. a post in which the old form of sections are used. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a couple of sections of a .moditied form of 0st wherein the transverse notches are a apted for use in rotating the osts to screw them in or out. Fig. 6 is an e evation of-a screw-driver for use in connection with the post shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 is a similar view of a turning implement for use in connection with the nut shown in Fig. 4. i

The binder comprises substantially a of covers A and B, each consisting of a rigid back bar 11 12 and a fla 13,. united thereto by a flexible joint 14, o cloth or leather or like material, and a plurality of posts (ordinarily two in number) C, uniting the bars .11 12. While I donot limit myself to any con- 'struction of back bars, those herein shown are supposed to beef wood or like material, having a canvas or leather covering 15. At the; point where the post C is secured to the upper bar 11-the latter is bored through and ho lowed out to receive the inner member 16 of the u per or continuous-adjustment section 17 o the post C, the member 16 having a flange 18, which is secured between the bar 11 and an inset piece 19, the latter being glued or otherwise fixed in a mortise 20-made in the bar 1 1 to receive it. Thus fixed the member 16 depends from the inner side of the back bar, as shown. This member is tubular, and its internal diameter is less at the top than at-the bottom, the former being internally threaded to'receive the threaded. ortion 21 of the adjusting-screw 22, whici is provided with a head 23, projecting above the end of the member 1'6, and'which is prolonged to extend through the member 16 and has at its lower end a conical tip .24. The member 16 operates within the outer member 25 of the upper section 17 otthe post C,

this lower member being likewise tubular.

and fitting over the member 16, which is adjustable within it. The lower end of the member 16 is longitudinally slotted, as shown at 26, so as to divide it radially into segments, which are somewhat flexible, each segment having on its lower end a heel 27, enga ing frictionally the inner side of the mem er 25, and a toe or oint 28, extending inwardly and against which presses the conical tip 24 of the adj usting-screw 22. I prefer, also, to turn the upper edge of the member 25 inwardly, as shown at 29, whereby the heel 27 engages therewith on the full extension of the section and prevents the inner member 16 from accidentally coming out. The screw-head 23 is preferably sunk in a re cess 30, which prevents it from projecting above the cover and permits-a coin to be insorted edgewise into the neck of the head to turn the same. The remainder of the post consists of a plurality of sections 31 which are all alike, and each is composed of a hollow barrel having one end thereof (the upper end in pair- Fig. 2) provided with an internal annular flange 32. The opening is just large enough to receive the shank of a screw 33, the head 34 of the screw abutting, on the inner ,edge of the flan e. The opposite end of the barrel of the sect1on31 and also that of the outer member 25 of the upper section 17 is closed by an annular plug 35, which is internally screwthreaded, as shown at 36, Fig. 3, to engage with the threaded portion 37 of the screw 33. Moreover, I prefer in some cases to provide, as shown, a tongue-androove connection consisting of a palr of sma l teats 38, projecting on one end of each section 31 and corresponding notches 39 on the other end, the teats 38 on one section fitting into the notches 39 on the adjacent section, so as to prevent the sections from rotating relatively to one another. It is not, however, essential that this tongue and groove connection should be provided, as experience shows that when the screw 33 is drawn up ti ht friction is sufficient to keep the sections horn rotating one upon the other. The last section of the post-that is, the lowest one in Fig. 2 is fixed to the back bar 12 of the'lower coversection B in similar manner-to wit, by means ofone of the screws 33 engaging the thread 36 of the plug 35 of the section. The screw 33 in this case passes through a hole in a plate 40, which is set in'a recess or mortise in the back bar in like manner to the block 19 in the upper back bar and may be secured thereto by means of screws 41 countersunk so as to permit the covering material 15 to cover the plate, and the outer side of the back bar around the screw-head is comically recessed, as shown at 42, in like mannerto the upper back bar. ing thebinder as thus constructed is as follows: Should it he desired to release the l screw 22 is then screwed in until the ends 28 of thesegments in the lower end of the inner section 16 are forced apart by the conical tip 24 of the screw, so that the heels 2? thereof enga e frictionally with the sides of the head 25. When the binder becomes expanded by the continual insertion of leaves until the upper section 17 is fully drawn out, then. the binder is turned over and a screw-driver or coin inserted in the nick of the screw 33 on the back bar of the binder-cover, and the later is unscrewed. Another section 31. may then be added to the post by inserting a screw-driver 51 (see Fig. 6) of sufiic'iently small dimensions to enter the plug 35 and .the

The method of operat- 33 thereof, so as to cause it to engage with the plug 35 of the end section, when it -is screwed up tight, and the binder-cover is then secured in like manner to the end of the new section. This is done, 'as will be readily seen, without disturbing the adjustment of the upper section 17v and without removing any leaves from the binder nor requiring the removal of any section of the post. If, on the other hand, it is desired to shorten the binder by a greater amount than the extension of the section 17, the screw 33 on the under binder-cover is in like manner removed, as before, and then the aforesaid screwdriver v51 inserted through the barrel of the end section and the latter unscrewed, and so the sections may be removed successively as many as may be desired. It will be observed that by this construction it is absolutely impossible for any section but the end section to be loosened. I

In Fig. 4 I have shown how my invention may be applied to the old form of post-sec tions. The binder-covers and their bars 11 and 12 are unchanged, and so, also, is the inner member 16 of the upper section 17 of the post. (The screw 22 is removed in this figure.) The outer member 25' of this section I is, however, closed at the bottom and provided with a projecting screw threaded boss 43. Each of the other sections 31 has a similar boss 44 011 one end and an internal thread 45 on the other to receive the boss of the adjacent section, as will be readily under stood, and, further, this old form of section is provided with a transverse hole 46 at some point of its length for the insertion of a tommy-bar to rotate it. The end section 31 is here shown as secured to the back bar 12 by a Tshaped nut 47, fitting over the boss 44 and having a pair of holes 48 at opposite ends of the diameter, into which are inserted the pins 49 of a turning implement 50, (see Fig. 7,) the rim of the nut 47 abutting against the outermargin of the plate 40. This old form has the disadvantage that it is necessary to use two tommybarsone in the hole 46, of the end section and one in the hole 46 of the next followingsection-in order to prevent the screw-threads from releasin at some point farther down on the post; ut it still em-. bodies my invention so far as the continued and unlimited adjustment of the binder is concerned.

In Fig. 5 is shown a form of post comprising sections 31., similar to those of Fig. 1,eX cept that the independent screws 33 are replaced by screw-bosses 33 and the teats 38 are removed, the notches 359 being the same as the notches 39. necessary to use a screw-driver 51 to remove the separate sections, but they are removed by merely inserting a coin into the notches 39" on the end section and then rotating it.

In this case it is notv This means of unscrewing the sections is superior to the holes 46, (shown in Fig. 4,) because the latter are always covered by the leaves mounted in the binder, and it is a n1atter'of inconvenience to raise these leaves to find the holes 46 and insert the tommy-bars thereinto.

The various elements of superiority in my improved post should be clear from the above description, and it will be understood,

of course, that certain mechanical changes may be made in'the construction without interfering with the principle of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loose-leaf binder, a rigid sectional post having means for continuously vary ng its length at one end, and means'for adding sections at the other end thereof.

'2. In a loose-leaf'binder, a rigid sectionalhaving means for adjusting its extension,

and a plurality of interchangeable sections adapted to be secured to the free end of said extensible section and to each other in com bination with a binder-bar removably securable tothe end of said post'opposite said ex tensible section.

4. In a loose-leaf binder, a post-section comprising a barrel having an internal thread at one end and a screw fitting said internal thread and rotating loosely in said barrel, the thread of said screw projecting when in use from-the opposite-end so as to engage the mternal thread of the next section.

5. In a sectional post for loose-leaf bind ers, a post-section having a transverse notch at one end thereof, and a transverse pro ection at the other end adapted to fit in the notch of the adjacent section; said notch and abutting on the first end.

7. A loose-leaf binder comprising in combination with a pair of back bars, an extensible section secured at its end to one of said bars, and comprising telescoping members,-

I which it is attached, a plurality of interchangeable sections one or more of which is secured to the free end of said. extensible section and each of which comprises a barrel having an internal thread at one end and a screw loosely rotatin in said barrel and projecting when in use cm the other end, said screw engaging the internal thread of any of said sections; and a screw set in the opposite back bar and rotating in a hole therein, the thread thereof projecting from the inner side of said backbar and engaging the internal thread ofthe end section of the post.

8. In a sectional post for loose-leaf binders, a post-section comprising a hollow barrel having anJ-internal flange 32 around one end, a screw 33 having its shank passing through the opening in said flange and its head abutting thereagainst, and an internal1y-screwthreaded plug 35 secured in the opening of the other end of said barrel, said barrel having on one end a projecting part and on the other end a depressed part adapted to receive the projecting part of the adjacent section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of July, 1905. I

HENRY MILLER.

In presence of R. E. GEHRKE, ADOLPH G. LOTTAR. 

